UPDATE (8:00 p.m. Sunday) - A reliable source has told us that BBC Europe lost it's steering on Saturday evening after entering the Seaway. It was then instructed to report to the nearest anchorage.

As mentioned in an earlier update, we made an uneducated assumption, based on a little bit of information we had learned. The course of the ship and it's change in speed played into those initial thoughts.

We want it to be known that nowhere did we claim it as fact.

UPDATE (6:30 a.m.) - Ship was cleared to continue on its journey and pulled anchor around 5 a.m.

UPDATE (11:00 p.m.) - This is an unconfirmed assumption, but according to the track of the ship as shown above, something occurred prior to Mason Point and most likely near the village of Clayton. There are rocks/shoals west of Clayton that could have been clipped before reaching Bartlett Point.

UPDATE (10:15 p.m.) - US Coast Guard has confirmed to The Ship Watcher that USCG and Seaway inspectors are en route to the ship later this evening.

Since the ship moved from the incident site, its believed that there is no threat of pollution.

ORIGINAL REPORT - BBC Europe, a 390-foot ship built in 2003, was one of many ships traveling through the region on Saturday, which started with a delay on the river due to heavy fog.

Just after 6 p.m., BBC Europe cleared Cape Vincent headed downbound. A little after 7 p.m. the ship passed our viewing location, just east of Linda Island, and was moving at a good rate of speed. The ship was expected to next clear Crossover Island around 9 p.m. It is believed to be destined for Quebec.

However, around 8:30 p.m. it was noticed that the ship had returned upbound and stopped off Quebec Head. Its anchor was deployed and the superstructure was lit. Engines could be heard being stopped.

Initial reports are that the ship had some sort of incident near Mason Point, east of Clayton. In addition, a Seaway inspection is believed to be in order. All indications lean toward the ship touching bottom/rocks.

There are no reports, as of 9:30 p.m., of pollution or injuries relating to this incident. Ship traffic is not an immediate issue as just one upbound ship will likely pass BBC Europe in the next two hours and 2 ships are upbound, but currently on Lake Ontario and will pass overnight.